Sanskrit vs German: AAP slams govt over language row

The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday slammed the government over the language row and various decisions taken by Union HRD ministry, including the timing of scrapping the FYUP, and termed it as "amateurish tinkering".

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday slammed the government over the language row and various decisions taken by Union HRD ministry, including the timing of scrapping the FYUP, and termed it as "amateurish tinkering".

Senior party leader Yogendra Yadav said recent decision of the Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani reflects how serious the government was about dealing with the issue.

"The minister does not does not understand the three-language formula and the multi-lingual debate and made it into Sanskrit vs German row.

"The minister says that any language which is in Schedule 8 of the constitution can be taught as the third language. It also shows the minister is not aware of the constitution, which does not prohibit languages to be taught in schools, which are not Schedule 8 of the Constitution," Yadav said.

He said that more clarity was required on what should the policy on classical languages- Sanskrit and Tamil- be, the three-language formula and how should the issue of foreign language be dealt with considering the demand to learn international languages.

"There are also non-scheduled languages like Bhopuri, Tulu , Maithili, which are mother toungue of so many students. So what will be the policy on these languages," Yadav said.

Criticising the government's decisions, Atishi Marlena, party spokesperson and one of the leading brains behind chalking out party policy on various issues, said the ministry's act was nothing but "amateurish tinkering."

"The minister does not understand the basic thing that she asked to introduce Sanskrit in the middle of the academic year. Although we opposed the FYUP, we are against the way the decision was taken," Marlena said.